These thematic presentations include his early formative years in his
home town of Leiden; the move to Amsterdam; descriptions of his
family; details of his particular interest and expertise in etching; the
innovative nature of his subjects, i.e., ordinary people doing ordinary,
even crude, things; the breadth of his scope, notably in his frequent
depiction of old age.
Having saturated yourself with Rembrandt, you've a choice in this
website of several other types of presentations. My first port of call was
looking at the feature on the Society of Wood Engravers, which is
celebrating its centenary this year with a comprehensive exhibition at
the Ashmolean. Sadly, lockdown arrived just before it was due to open.
Let’s hope we can see it in person later in the year. In the meantime,
you can explore a clear and concise explanation of what wood
engraving is, a hands-on introduction to having a go at it yourself, and
illustrations of stunning work from previous SWE exhibitions.
Besides specific exhibitions, the museum continues in its ambitious
project to catalogue its entire Collection on line. Thus far, they have
managed to include 131,500 pieces of work: paintings, ceramics,
sculpture. You choose a category, click onto whatever catches your
fancy, and up comes factual information about your choice.
Possibly my favourite section in The Ashmolean Online is their Stories.
These are refreshingly brief but sufficiently detailed accounts of a
particular work, or type of activity. For example, at the moment there
are features on working at home in wartime China in 1943, contrasted
with contemporary Oxford artists' lockdown experiences...or you might
prefer to refresh your memory of Last Supper in Pompeii, with several
lively pieces on offer, including a video of Heston Blumenthal's
instructions on how to make carbonised bread.
Finally, for anyone wanting something more hands-on, there are two
activities: Artists in Residence, a competition whose theme is your
reaction to lockdown. There are three age-related entry groups and a
wide variety of media is invited. The deadline is July 31st.
Even more innovative is Isolation Creations, an ongoing compilation of
your reactions at home to particular artworks at the Ashmolean which
they are posting on Twitter. Some early examples of creative results are
displayed on their website. Why not have a go yourself?
Ruth Cameron
19